The third studio album, and first holiday album, of Elvis Presley, Elvis’ Christmas Album, was released on October 15th, 1957. The king of rock and roll delved away from his typical rock anthems and went towards recreating holiday classics, while adding many of his own tunes with them. Released through Radio Recorders, Hollywood, the album was an instant classic, spending four weeks at Number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. Furthering away from the initial release, including the numerous rereleases the album has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, cementing it as the best-selling Christmas album of all time. The album was certified diamond, and the rest was history. Elvis had now cemented his name in every household all over the world and was officially crowned as one of the most influential men in the world.
Introduction
Elvis Presley is one of the most well-known artists of all time, but not for his holiday hits. All of these tracks, apart from “Blue Christmas,” go under the radar, and not understandably so. Each of these tracks has something unique to bring, even the recordings of the classic songs. While there are many unoriginal tracks, Mr. Presley does bring some of his own takes on these songs, as well as provides his own, unique Christmas classics. The production on every track is superb, often utilizing choirs and brass. It wouldn’t be an Elvis project without mentioning his outstanding vocal performance either. While this project was a divergence from his initial fame-ridden tracks, he effectively evolves his name into the holiday season since 1957.
Production
While Elvis had much input into the production styles of these songs, it was ultimately given to Steve Sholes to perfect this project. Each track brings with its’ own style, which benefits the project. Apart from the final three tracks, that is the truth. The final three songs are bleh, sounding very alike. The one props these songs deserve is the organ usage in “Take My Hand, Precious Lord.” The album, however, starts off very strong, with Elvis and Sholes utilizing many different drum patterns and keyboard styles. The vintage audio used on “White Christmas” to intro the song sounds amazing and adds a natural lead into the song. The duo loved to use breaks in the instrumental to build to a climax in the songs, and they did so excellently, as it often leads to the best part of the song.
Vocals
Again, it wouldn’t be an Elvis Presley project without even slightly mentioning his vocals. Elvis, who is well known for excellent vocals, does not disappoint on this project either. His control on every song is outstanding. I tried to pick a track in which he sounded the best, but they all equally sound amazing. In “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” Presley demonstrated a wonderful carry of words, ultimately sounding phenomenal and adding emphasis to those parts of the track. While he is often left sounding similar on each track (which is not a negative), “Blue Christmas” sees Elvis bringing a different style, experimenting a lot on this track. While this is a diversion, Elvis brings some of the best vocals here, and the listener is attracted in and left singing with him. Ultimately, Elvis does not disappoint on his takes here.
Comparisons / Originality
As stated prior, there is a blend of original tracks and covers of vintage hits here. The takes on classic holiday songs are without a doubt the highlight of the album. Elvis takes his own approach on all of the instrumentals on the original hits and takes it all home. His vocals match, and often times succeed, past those of the original singers. While the original tracks here are also superb, they do fall slightly short to the originals. The final three tracks see Elvis bringing his own pop/rock style with a Christmas meaning. These tracks don’t really match what the rest of the album is and drag the album at some points. Although these tracks don’t truly hold the project down, it is an important note when approaching the album.
Conclusion
Elvis’ Christmas Album is a wonderful blend of holiday cheer and Elvis Presley. Bringing much of what he was known for to classic holiday music, Elvis knocks this project out of the park. Reaching far and above what was expected, he cemented his name in the holiday season. This project is without a doubt one for the history books and is continued to be listened to nearly 70 years after its release.
Song Rankings
- “Blue Christmas”
- “Santa Claus Is Back In Town”
- “Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me)”
- “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)”
- “White Christmas”
- ”(There’ll Be) Peace In the Valley (For Me)”
- “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
- “Silent Night”
- “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”
- ”Take My Hand, Precious Lord”
- ”I Believe”
- ”It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)”
Strongest Track ~ To me, “Blue Christmas” truly takes the show here. Elvis went for an experimental Christmas track, and he successfully does so well. Between the odd nature of the production and his vocals, the track is perfect. It has gone down as one of the best and most known Christmas songs in history, and it deserves every ounce of praise it has received.
Final Notes
Song rankings are always subject to change over time, so don’t take these too to heart. They also are just our opinion. We would love to hear your opinions, so leave them in the comment section below. We also suggest subscribing to our blog. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the form. That will allow you to receive emails of new blogs and maybe get them ahead of time. Finally, go give Elvis’ Christmas Album a listen for yourself.